How long did it take for your stomach to go down after having a c-section??

Ashley - posted on 11/18/2009
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what a nightmare!My son is 5mon & i look 6mon pregnant.. i hear 'how far along are you' or 'pregnant again, already!?'every day! I never imagined it would be this hard & take so long to loose the belly after my c-section! I have always been a petite little grl that gets mistaken for 15 every time i get carded or go out. Other than being very short (4''11) before i weighed 98lbs, i delivered at 128, and im now @ 124lb, & its all right in the front. I honestly wanna just tell people i am pregnant b/c its embarrassing. I had to have an emergency c-section the very second i started pushing my son turned around. The doctor ended up putting my staples in too tight & my incision goim wondering is he did something else wrong. i hear all these nightmares from other girls about doctors leaving in placenta, or something that was used during surgery, such a gaze. Ive been to 3 different doctors now and they all say i donno Ash, ive had sonograms done also...& nothing. I am so curious to ask if anyone else has had to go thro such a healing process. I hope its just taking alot longer than expected, i donno, any advice other than exercises or a guarder type thing that hold ur belly tight, i fell as if i honestly tried everything, Help!!or maybe you could just say a prayer for me?...

Hey Ashley.... guess what? You're not alone.. anyway, the good news is, your belly will shrink back to its original shape a year after baby is born. That's what I was told by a lot of my friends and also my gym trainer. It seems that the womb takes 9 months to expand and therefore, takes 9 months to heal. In fact, I can't do any tummy exercises now until baby turns 6 or 7 months ... maybe a year cuz my womb still hurts and any too strenous exercises can hurt the healing process. But if there is one thing I don't give up is... exercising! I have just started hitting the gym... to bring back that stamina... and not only that to get rid of the weight.. Cutting down on rice and late night snacks help too. In Asia, we believe that wind sometimes causes the belly to bloat especially cold drinks which is why, we have such thing called the confinement period. We have post-natal massage by traditional midwives and that really helps to get rid of the wind and excess fluid in the body. Cold drinks are a no no for us as it makes the body cold and allows wind into the body. If you are breastfeeding, you can make fish soup, added with green papaya, onion spring leaves for taste and a pulp of ginger to increase breastmilk and get rid of the wind in our body. I know how you feel about people mistaking you for being pregnant. It seems that every other part of my body has shrunk back to its original size but the belly... but I am afraid it is something that we have to endure for the next 6 months of our lives.... in the meantime, just keep exercising and avoid cold drinks and chilli as it creates gas in your tummy. Hope that helps! :)

I am similar to you Ashley, I am finding it very hard to get back in shape and my belly also looks still very rounded compared to the rest of my body, my son is also five months. I am doing yoga now and i think its helping, its post natal yoga with lots of twists and tummy excercises designed to help shrink the uterus. I am still breastfeeding exclusively and understand that for some women this hinders weight loss. Could this be a factor for you ? I too had an emergency c section and for me the part i hate the most is the flap that now hangs over the wound - gross i look like i have a beer belly !!! It doesnt help that lots of people talk and obscess about weight around me ! I have also just started running again so hopefully we'll both get there soon. It takes time and every woman is different so go easy on yourself !

The muscles that hold your stomach in are just streatched out and weak. My son is 6 months old and I weigh 5 pounds less then I did before getting pregnent. I still have a poochy belly. I did alot of yoga before getting pregnant and I can tell you the core muscles get very, very weak while carrying the baby. I used to be able to do a plank pose indefinately. Now I'm lucky if I can hold it for 30 seconds. You just have to strenghten those muscles back up so they can hold everything in again. Good luck!

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Jennifer - posted on 10/03/2012

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Oh, I know how you feel! I was 5'0" 90pounds and gained 50 pounds by fullterm! Try that on for size! Lol I don't know if you're still having trouble, but I had a c-section too, and working out has definitely worked for me so far.

Ok I just had a c section 2 weeks ago. My first son I had a normal delivery. But I have noticed that in both, I lost a lot a weight 2 weeks after having my kids. The key is breast feeding. Since I had a normal delivery with my son I was able to wear a postpartum belt around my waist and that helped me a lot to get a flat stomach in less than six months. Since I had a c section this time, my doctor said it was ok to wear one. I am planning in using it in two months, I just dont feel confident in using it now, even though my doctor said it was ok. I know that can help a lot until you can start your regular exercise routine. I will wait like 6 months or so until I can start working out, I dont want to hurt anything inside my body. Just to be cautious :) good luck.

i had c section last year february. from the hospital my mother just told me to put on my belly after one week. i definately succeeded wth my flat stomach and feel nothing. i lose weight, my daughter is nw 1 year and 6 months and hyperactive. i also want to know what must i do to gain weght? i think my c section is done proper and i feel good now. for those who are extra fat maybe you need some exercises.

my daughter is 6 months old and i recently started going to the gym to help get the baby weight off and i have had a rough time with my stomach muscles i want so bad to work them because that's where i need it but i was so sore i could barely move for like 3 days it felt as if i was tearing at the seam of my c section incision inside so FYI be careful go slow and pace yourself i learned the hard way!!

I didn't have a c-section, but thought I would try to help out in the advice column (hopefully). With having a c-section it is going to take a little longer for your body to retain that youthful, before you became pregnant you. This is normally caused by the cutting of your muscular tissues which in turn will have to mend and strengthen once more. One way to move the process along, though some don't like to hear it is in fact doing exercise, it is very hard to find the time to exercise when you have a 5/6 month old, but try the best you can do, get bundled up and go for a stroll, or place the baby in an exersaucer/jumper, or bouncy seat/ swing for 15 minutes if you must. This way you can have them right there with you. I have found that a morning routine that includes fitting in mommy time is very beneficial, I try to exercise for 30 minutes- an hour every day, and no doubt I have to take breaks to tend to my 3 year old daughter or 5 1/2 month old son, but as soon as I do I am back to exercising. By no way am I telling you to get your butt in gear, and I don't know exactly what you are going through, but through my own accounts of being over 300 lbs I can tell you for a fact that this has been the best thing for me, and I have now lost 37 pounds since the birth of my son and have 8 lbs to go until I am under 300, so it can work, you just have to stay motivated and work it into your schedule. I wish you all the best of luck, and if anyone needs help I am here for you, because there is support in numbers!

I am 10 lbs more than when I delivered! My girls are also 5 months but they have severe reflux that cause them to be colicky all day long. It is just now getting under control so I'm able to work out and also I was eating due to stress of the babies crying, My belly is also sticking out (not as big as with the twins but will not suck in). WIsh you the best hopefully with the exercise and better eating mine will go down but I'll keep you posted.

I did not have a c-section, my son is now 6 months old and was born 9 lbs 8 oz. The last month of my pregnancy I couldn't even lay down without being in extreme pain doctor thought he might have been on a nerve or laying on my back funny... just turned out he was very big. I've lost weight since I had him, a lot in my thighs (which got huge while I was pregnant) but that belly still sticks around. It's all just flab and I hate it. A friend of mine is just now losing her belly flab after a year. She also had a c-section.

By the way, after 5 months there is no way the placenta is still inside your body and you not already be extremely ill. Also, leaving surgical tools inside your body after an operation is a very rare, if you are worried about it, the best thing to do is have an x-ray or an ultrasound done.

I didnt have a c-section but my stomach is terrible. I'm at my normal weight but my stomach sticks out like I'm 4months. My daughter asks me everyday can she go with me to the hospital to get the new baby lol.

no advice but just wanted to add after reading all your ladies replies this helped me alot my situation is a bit different cause i didn't have a c-section my baby was natural however i find myself exactly in the same situation cant lose the weight and look like im pregnant again i even took a pregnancy test was negative, i found when i was breastfeeding i felt and looked great my stomach seemed to be smaller but after i stopped she wouldnt latch on anymore it all hangs out and i really look like im pregnant i really hate looking like this and being this size im just going to keep exercising and hope its gets better, so thank you everyone atleast now i dont feel like im the only one

FYI - It's not permanent....Hate to say it but some woman take 2 months...some take 2 years. The adverage woman takes a year before she reaches her desired weight. With that said, even if you reach your pre-baby weight you may still notice that certain areas of your body still feel as if they are bigger than before but a lot of time it's just because you didn't work the abs while you were pregnant.

This is a major misconception that abs is a bad thing to work when you are pregnant when really it's a vital part to keeping that tummy tight and a faster return to your belly. Of course you won't be doing crunches anymore when you are pregnant but there are modified ab exercises that are very helpful. In addition kegal exercises are really important for those lower abs, and conciously make an effort to tighten those lower abs for 30 seconds 4-5times a day. You will find that over time that will help speed up the process!

Are you breastfeeding? I've found that helped me. Every woman is different and our bodies all handle child birth differently. I'm a Certified Personal Trainer who specializes in Pre & Post Natal. After gaining 50lbs with my daughter an feeling like a whale I was more than determined to lose the weight. I had friends who had the flat belly 6 weeks after and 1 gf who literally walked out of the hospital in her "skinny" jeans. I know I hate her for it too! It took me 5 months and I still have a little more to go and thats from working it! Some people also have a more difficult time rebuilding their core muscles after giving birth and it's an important start to getting that tummy tight again. Plus a lot of people don't know the correct techniques. have you been in a gym...anything around the house? It's hard with a baby to try in fit in the gym, especially when you've been through so much and the combination of adapting to baby life and no sleep! If you need any tips let me know I'd be more than happy to help, I also do house calls. :)

I had an emergency C-Sect too and the surgery went fine aside from bleeding during the surgery. My incision was as I expected. I lost all of my baby weight around 2-3 weeks after birth and then at about a month and a half, BOOM it was back. It was back all in my tummy, but I don't look pregnant necessarily, just blobby. I wish I could say I've tried everything, but I haven't (exercise), but I definitely notice that it's different than the weight I carried there before. I think it's from not strengthening any tummy muscles during the 9 months of pregnancy that makes everything so incredibly weak and untoned. Have you tried crucnhes/tummy exercise? I know you mentioned not to ask about it, but do you think that could be the case?

I know how you feel, my daughter is 5 months, and I am still huge...I had a C-section as well, I just wish it would go away, I don't know how long it takes, but it does help to know that there are other ppl right there with you!!! You can write me back, more then glad to talk!!!

My son just turned 5 months old, and i still feel as huge as i while pregnant with him. My c-section still bugs me too, but i was told that in time the pain will go away and your tummy will tighten back up. on can only hope! i feel your pain, your not alone!! :)

Honestly im in the same boat, not as bad but to me it seems horible, my daughter is 6 months old, and everyone around me thinks that im at least three months pregnant. I look at my reflection and shy away, I hate how i look. I work out at least three times a week and put myself on a diet but it like Im still gaining weight. I became pregnant at 133 pounds and delivered two weeks early at 172 pound, since i delivered the lowest i've gotten is 150, my husband says it will just take time for it to go away, but it doesnt stop him from making a crack about my "baby flab" I'm so tired of looking this way. I honestly dont know what to tell you other than hold in there and that your not alone

I had a c section in june also, my son was breech. Everyone was sure I would loose the weight after birth also, because im 5'0 and gained what the doctor wanted me to,We are a military family and we moved a month after our son was born. I still feel pain, I've had sonogram, x ray and mri and nothing to show the pain, they said it could take a year to heal good. I feel like im gaining weight though now, and alex is gonna be 6 months dec 3!! I breast feed, but I really wanna do a diet but dont know whats safe for breast feeding.

Seems like everyone is going through the same thing. I had a C section this time (2nd birth - 1st was natural). My daughter was 11lb 6oz so I just assumed the flab was from her being so big! My tummy is just hanging - its really horrible. However, I have a beautiful daughter - and if the price I have to pay is a flabby tummy I am willing to do that :)

Quoting Claire: How big was your son at birth? Also, how had was it on you carrying him in the last trimester?

Thats scary to think it may be permant...i gained the weight that the doctor actually wanted me to. Joelian was 6lb 2oz when he was born. He was head down for the last moth n a half and i couldnt even tell. I was working in day care and i was hard on my body, he really wasnt, because i was still liftin and doing things that i shouldnt have been. My doctor suggested i quit but i just wasnt ready too, i didnt stop working till 2wks before i delivered. My doctor also took me a week early for no other reason than there were a ton of girls to be delivering at that time and he was soo busy that he had to rush mine when i knew i wasnt ready...The very next morning i was up moving around, the only time i would sit down or lay down was at night. The nurses said it would be an easier healing process if i got up and moved around but then they told me i over did it so...i really dont know. Its frustrating not knowing anything. My home nurse sayd that im just swollen, i thought i was just gaining weight because i didnt loose a pound up until i started excerising in Sept. Thank you for the advice tho hopefully i'll start seeing some relief soon.

Hi Ashley, I had a c-section with my first little boy then a natural birth with my daughter. There is such a thing called abdominal seperation from the birth. This is when your abdominals seperate in the centre of your stomach. You might have to google it. It is very common and sometimes that stops your stomach going back to normal. I did physio and exercise to get my muscles back inline. I had a emergency C-section and it was tough to get my tummy back into shape. Best of luck and be patient it does happen.

I too have a son born by c-section in June, I am a big person but also feel pregnant and wear pregy clothes, its annoying and depressing me. 20 yrs ago when I had my daughter I gained extra weight after I had her and it took about 3 years to come off. I sympathize with you...

i had a c section. i had twin boys they are 5 months old. i didnt gain any weight but my stomach still sticks out really bad. i also wear maternity clothes because thats all that fits! i need to start working out, but what stops me is if i lose more belly fat my skin is going to sag on my stomach more! :( go to a www.theshapeofamother.com it will make you feel better :D

My son is five months and I also had a c section it seem to be coming down on its own supprisingly. But my baby was 10 pounds and 9 ounces at birth. I was told it will take a year to get back right and the woman that does my hair has a 10 year old and she showed me here stomach and she still has a line and everything, She said diet and excercise is the only way. I don't know I just hope it goes down good enough for me to atleast look cute

still fat. Its been 5 months and I am still as fat as when my son was born. He was 10.4lbs. And my c section often still causes pain. If I rub up against it or lean against it, it feels as though a knife is been cut through it. My Dr says that it is due to the nerves that get cut, and that it could take up to a yr to fully heal. As for the weight he says as I am more active with baby the weight will come down, He says about 1-2 years could go by until I am pre parenting size again. Hope That helped some.

I also had a c-section & honestly I am still wearing my maternity pants! (my daughter is also 5 months old now!) I am only 5'2" and I totally feel like I still look very pregnant. I try to be as active as I can, but nothing seems to help. I gained 40lbs while I was pregnant. I lost less than half my pregnancy weight during my first two weeks home, then it just completely stopped coming off and I haven't lost a pound since! :( You're not alone! I just wish I could wear some regular jeans without having a disgusting muffin top or have people think that I'm already due to have another one! I guess we'll just have to say a prayer for each other.

I had a complicated c-section (my incision split back open due to an infection and took 15 weeks to heal shut again) so I was unable to exercise for several months. I lost all the weight within a few weeks of the surgery; however, I still have that pregnant shape and am 1 clothing size bigger than before due to my rounder belly and larger chest. I read somewhere that it takes 9 months to put it on so you shouldn't really expect to lose it in any less than that.

I also had a c-section. I had an 8 lb. girl. I was at my original weight 2 weeks after I had her because I was mostly fluid. Now, it seems like i'm gaining weight like crazy and im very embarassed. I usually stay home most of the time with my daughter and all I ever get done is taking care of her and I feel like there is no time to exercise at all. I also brought this up to my Dr. and he told me that since my daughter is not fully active yet it keeps me very confined to where she is and I don't move around too much. He also said that once she becomes more active that I will too and it will help me lose weight. Its a really hard subject to deal with. I used to be very active and fit but now i've let my body go so much and it is very hard to deal with. Oh.. and the scar is horrible! I have a "flap". I don't want to exercise, I just want it gone now! I know that will never happen without hard work though! Good luck!

I know you said no advice about exercise... but if you can't make your stomach muscles get real tight by now, then exercise is probably what you need. How big was your son at birth? Also, how had was it on you carrying him in the last trimester? I work with a girl that is just a little bit bigger than you...she had her 3 naturally ( which isn't as bad for your figure) and she has a permanent belly...and her youngest is almost 4 now. And all 3 of her pregnancies were very hard on her body.